From modern Chelsea cuts at Prada to extreme blush at Molly Goddard, these looks will keep your creativity warm during these bleak winter days
As we limp through the last soggy, dreary months of winter and (please God) lockdown, immersing ourselves in the creative chaos of fashion week this season has helped stave away the blues. Inherent in beauty has always been an element of escapism and fantasy, and it was exactly for that that we looked to the hair and make-up on the digital FW21 runways in New York, Milan, London and Paris.
From the vivid pops of colours at Versace and Molly Goddard to the experimental, playful hairstyles at Prada, Simone Rocha, and Matty Bovan, here are our favourite beauty moments.
MFW: Modern Chelsea cuts at Prada
We’re big fans of the Chelsea cut here at DBHQ and predicted its return back in May, so we were thrilled to see an updated version of the classic style at Prada this season. Guido Palau was responsible for the looks, which combined the same masculine and feminine influences juxtaposed in the collection, and used gel and hairspray to shellac the hair down onto the head to mimic the effect of a buzzcut. On make-up was Pat McGrath who created bold smoky eyes with gold, silver, and lavender pigments sweeping up to the brow bone.
LFW: Delicate punk braids at Simone Rocha
Simone Rocha’s collection this season was a dichotomy of pearls and harnesses, as gothic princesses and biker ballerinas walked the runway. Exploring motifs of strength and fragility, Rocha’s muse was a vulnerable rebel, an aesthetic that extended to the beauty as well. While some models rocked choppy mullets paired with cascading plaits, others were given gravity-defying sculptural braids embellished with pearl beads by hairstylist Cyndia Harvey. As a contrast, the make-up by Laren Parsons was kept soft and delicate, a look Parsons called “cameo brooch complexions”.
LFW: Starry-faced at Burberry
Described by make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench as a “clean, celestial” look, a few of the female models at Burberry this season walked the runway with a constellation of small, twinkly stars on their faces. The dreamy look was created by tracing delicate star shapes onto the skin with white or black paint and then applying tiny crystal studs in the centre and the surrounding area to create a shimmering, starry canvas. The rest of the face was kept simple with beautiful, dewy skin and natural lips whie hair was slicked back into a tight pony by Jawara to make the look more masculine.
PFW: Bleached brows at Balmain
All the models at Balmain were given peroxide-bleached brows this season to accentuate the aerodynamic aesthetic running through the show. It’s a style favoured by make-up artist Isamaya French who completed the look with barely there make-up, bare lips, and drawn-on lower lashes and a tiny wing liner. Hair came courtesy of Sam McKnight who kept the looks “lighter than air.” Ponytails were long, glamourous and slight raised at the front for a sleek silhouette.
PFW: Pops of colour at Versace and Giambattista Valli
Vibrant colourful wings graced the eyes of models at Versace this season courtesy of Pat McGrath. Inspired by the collection’s rich fabrics and colour palette, these electric splashes of pink and blue were the statement piece of the make-up adding drama to a look that was otherwise kept natural with rosy cheeks and glossy lips. On hair, meanwhile, was Guido Palau who complemented the bold eye looks with silky patterned scarves (the bandana trend still going strong) which held back smooth, pin straight hair.
PFW: Pops of colour at Versace and Giambattista Valli
Also bringing the colour was Giambattista Valli who dialled up the look to one hundred. Inspired by the frescoed ceilings of Rome’s Galleria Borghese, make-up artist Helene Vasnier fingerpainted bold geometric shapes with intensely pigmented shadows in both light and dark tones. The look stretched out from the lid to cover the entire eye area up to the brows which were also turned colourful for a painterly look.
LFW: High-drama blush at Molly Goddard
Molly Goddard is known for the drama she brings to her collections and this season this extended to the make-up and hair as well. Shocks of hot pink blush extended all across the cheeks and up into the temples for an extreme 80s high glam look by Miranda Joyce who completed the look with bright pink and red lipstick. On hair was Luke Hersheson who created huge clouds of back-combed hair which he likened to candy floss.
LFW: Streaky blinders at Matty Bovan
Matty Bovan’s glitchy, club-kid creations this season made us long for the messy, creative chaos that life post-lockdown will no doubt look like. The collection was full of warped and distorted knits, busy prints and silhouettes littered with shiny discs, Swarovski crystals, and safety pins, a sartorial disorder that was matched by the beauty. Mirroring the scrambled, psychedelic style and colour of the clothes was abstract eye make-up made up of painterly strokes of colour and done by Bovan himself. Bovan was also responsible for the hair which was dyed with rainbow streaks scattered around the head.